Aphrodite, Goddess of Brunch

Passionately organic, Aphrodite’s is a neighborhood cafe and pie shop serving brunch, dinner and 15 kinds of pie. Located across the street from Banyen Books, Aphrodite’s draws an alternative crowd and is always busy. For weekend brunch, expect to sign a waiting list (scrum pictured) and employ some patience. The reason to wait, aside from the seemingly disproportionate number of beautiful diners, is the food. Although I could really care less that the ketchup (and everything) is organic, the food is always fresh, always delicious, and I have never had a bad plate of food. There are interesting specials, delicious sweets, and they serve the best side-salad in the city, resplendent in grated carrots and beats. You will find no bacon at Aphrodite’s, save for the odd special, but game sausage with fruit is more common, such as the interesting (if not recommended) buffalo blueberry sausage. My main frustration with Aphrodite is the service. They are friendly but the service philosophy is slow. It takes ages to get a seat and then once seated, you may wait to order. But what drives me insane is waiting to pay. It can be difficult to get your bill and the servers have a strange habit of completely disappearing right when you want to leave. And if you are paying by debit, good luck. If you rush the till, they have a rage-inducing policy of not letting you pay unless accompanied by your server. This problem is so consistent that I take pains to always pay in cash and I ask for my bill half way through the meal. This strategy lets me get the most out of this neighborhood treasure without losing my mind. Always recommended, this is a great location for a relaxed meal, and even the pickiest, greenest, most vegetarian eaters will be well satisfied.

salmon benny